Liverpool midfielder Fabinho is all set to leave for Saudi club Al-Ittihad after the club gave him permission to complete his £40m to the Middle East, reported Sky Sports on Saturday.
The 29-year-old has not travelled with Liverpool’s squad for the pre-season in Germany.
A £40m bid was placed by Al-Ittihad on Friday night and was soon accepted by the English club as the 29-year-old has been given permission to have a medical and go through with other formalities.
The Brazilian completed his move the Liverpool from Monaco in 2018 for a fee of £43m. He has appeared in 219 matches for The Reds where he scored 11 goals and gave 10 assists.
In his five-year-long career at the English club, he won seven trophies including a UEFA Champions League (UCL) title, English Premier League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.
Al-Ittihad have already signed the current Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema on a big-money contract on a three-year deal last month.
“I am excited to experience a new football league in a different country,” Benzema was quoted as saying in the club statement.
“I have been fortunate to achieve amazing things in my career and achieve everything I can in Spain and Europe. It now feels the time is right for a new challenge and project,” the Ballon d’Or holder said.
They also completed the signing of former Chelsea midfielder N’golo Kante on a four-year deal.
Liverpool’s captain Jordan Henderson is still a part of the pre-season tour despite constant interest from Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq.
It must be noted that the Saudia Pro League have taken the football world by storm in the last seven months.
Ever since Cristiano Ronaldo — who joined Al-Nassr in January 2023 — made his move to the Middle East, we have seen names like Karim Benzema, Roberto Firmino, N’golo Kante and many others following in the footsteps of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.